Today on Top Ten Tuesday I am going to give you some advice on getting out of a "Reading Slump". Even the most ardent reader hits this level at some point in their reading career. Whether it be from other priorities...Bored with a genre...Unsure where to start in the search of fresh reading material...Overwhelmed with the number of unknown-to-you authors...or simply just looking for something different...
The most important thing to remember when you are searching for new books...Is that life is too short to read books you don't like...If you are reading a book and you just can't get into it...you can't connect with the characters...the story is dragging and everytime you go to pick it up you just dread it...STOP READING IT!!! Seriously.*..put it down and go find a book that you actually like! This is one of the reasons I had a serious set-back in reading a
few years ago. I was trying to read books in a genre that I just couldn't get into. It resulted in me reading maybe 5 books in a 3 year period. Now...I'm shooting for 100 books THIS YEAR! (I hit 83 last year) And my secret? I stick to books I KNOW I will love! Sure, I try new authors, new sub-genres, new settings...BUT...I know my style well enough by now that I can get a pretty good feel for a book before I even start it.
few years ago. I was trying to read books in a genre that I just couldn't get into. It resulted in me reading maybe 5 books in a 3 year period. Now...I'm shooting for 100 books THIS YEAR! (I hit 83 last year) And my secret? I stick to books I KNOW I will love! Sure, I try new authors, new sub-genres, new settings...BUT...I know my style well enough by now that I can get a pretty good feel for a book before I even start it.
I have tried to give you a wide assortment of stories to help give your reading life a jump start...Let me know what you think!
*Unless you are a student and said book is for an assignment....in this case YOU MUST FINISH READING IT!
The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond
If you like creepy and suspenseful stories...Jaime Jo Wright's books will be right up your alley. Many a late night spent with these books!
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Sons of Blackbird Mountain
Unique setting and hero...Joanne Bischof creates a world you will never want to leave.
Genre: Historical Romance.
The Name of the Wind
It's not often that I recommend books that I haven't read...But The Name of the Wind is one of my husband's favorite books of all time. He reads it at least once a year. My best friend also adores this book.
Genre: Fantasy
The Lost Castle
Leave your heart somewhere safe as you dive into this time-slip romance. Set during WWII and present day, you will fall in love with France the moment you open these pages.
Genre: Historical Romance (Dual Time Line)
A Refuge Assured
Set at the end of the American Revolution and in the middle of the French Revolution, you will want to read this story in one sitting. Jocelyn Green will draw you into the story wholly and completely!
Genre: Historical Romance
True to You
A present day romance story with a mystery mixed in.
Genre: Contemporary Romance
The Help
Even though I haven't officially reviewed this story on the blog...I have read it a couple of times. I LOVE this story....SO.MUCH! Set in 1962, Mississippi...A story about "three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town." (Goodreads)
Genre: Historical Fiction
Cinder
You had to know that my list wouldn't be complete without a fairytale retelling....Yup...Cinder is your favorite princess story reimagined in a sci-fi sort of way...Where Cinderella....is a cyborg...And instead of losing a glass slipper at the ball....she loses ****CENSORED DUE TO SPOILERS****. So, ya, it's a little different than the story you remember. And FYI, you will never look at the moon the same way again......
Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi
Close to You
This is a special story for me. Filled with Lord of the Rings references and themes, because it is set in New Zealand and our heroine is a tour guide. I fell in LOVE with this story!
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Harry Potter
No matter how many times I read Harry Potter, it will ALWAYS be my default...I don't always start at the beginning....but if I ever find myself in a spot where I just don't know WHAT to read...I come back to this classic. And sometimes it's nice to just let your brain rest with an "easy read".
Genre: Juvenille Fiction
